G L AW
PHOTOGRAPHS BY VIKI WILSON
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Copyright Š 2012 Viki Wilson. All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced No part of this book, text, or photograph, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche, photocopier, internet or in any way known or as yet unknown, or stored in a retrieval system,without written permission obtained beforehand from the publisher. ISBN: 778-1-84348-905-3 Visit my website at www.vikiwilson.co.uk Printed in the UK
G L AW
PHOTOGRAPHS BY VIKI WILSON
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cornish - english dictionary glaw gul glaw kowas f. pl. kowasow
m.rain rain shower, rainstorm, blast (of rain)
more rain, more rest fine weather not the best Cornish proverb
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Foreword
The Cornish Peninsula advances into the might of the Atlantic Ocean. It has a temperate Oceanic climate as its southerly latitude and its geographic position puts it under the influence of the Gulf Stream. This southerly latitude and the moderating effects of the warm ocean currents make it a place sought out by many, particularly surfers for the wave and artists for its rich cultural and artistic heritage. Of course the Cornish born and bred are well aware of all these attributes. The photography in this book depicts a variety of spaces - a landscape where light plays off water,, sky and earth, where the waters of history, economy, and culture that that have shaped its people and landscape become one. Fleeting moments are captured as single moments, sometimes the sublime ocean and sky present a romantic view, these are then contrasted with seemingly prosaic images. Contained within each image and frame there is a searching for presence, that presence being water in all its forms. Andy Hughes November 2012
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Preface Think of rain, and we often think of gloom. Rain is the enemy, spoiler of days out, bringer of misery and floods. This is particularly true in Cornwall, so often pictured under blazing blue skies or serene sunsets. And yet the rain is an inherent and vital part of this place. It nourishes the landscape, the crops and the pasture, cleanses the air of pollutants and provides us with our most precious natural resource. Our common sense of enmity to the rain belies the fact that we are inherently part of the natural order ourselves. In the summer of 2012, more rain fell in Cornwall than had fallen for 100 summers, which in turn led to more flooding throughout the following months. These images were taken during that year of seemingly endless rain, or ‘glaw’ as it is named in Cornish. They tell a story of storms and showers, but also of peace, acceptance and sometimes simple beauty.
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